Conquering Ilocos

Please check my posts on where I stayed in Pagudpud. Goodnight Sleep in Kapuluan Vista Resort

It took me a while to write something about my Ilocos trip. The reason would be I'm too lazy and my sched is too tight at the moment. But seriously, I don't know how to begin it with. There are so many things to say about Ilocos. I stayed there for 2 days and 1 night but it was one of the my best experiences so far... well, it was the farthest place I've ever traveled ALONE which is why. Good thing I have Kuya Edu, my ever dearest and bloggers favorite tour guide in Pagudpud.

For the lack of better way to put it into writing, I will note down the things which I enjoyed and noticed during my trip in Pagudpud and Laoag.


Let me kick it off with Pagudpud's Kapurpurawan Rock Formation.

I was interested to see this firsthand as it entices me with very good pictures online. Seems like a view from another country eh? But what amaze me most about this attraction is it's mysterious existence. I thought, because of the name that it was just a big white rock but seeing it up close made my jaw dropped. I'm in awe of this rock formation or should I say, sand formation. It is a fine white sand formation. I tried to answer my question how did it happened. Looking at the sand in the area, it isn't white. And it is really a big rock sitting in the area.

I'm not really fund of taking pictures of myself but Kuya Edu want's me to pose so here I went.

If my memory serves me right, Kapurpurawan in Ilocano means white so they called it like that.

Slowly decaying sand. Please do something about it.

The sad thing about it, people visiting the area is not cautious about the sand. They vandalize and sometimes throws trashes anywhere. The local government prohibited tourists to enter some areas because they are slowly decomposing. Adding to this is weather disturbances that contributes to ruin the formation.

Kapurpurawan Rock Formation is a must see in Burgos but I will not recommend it anymore if people will just destroy this natures wonder.

Second in my list is the famous Bangui Windmills

During my trip from Laoag to Pagudpud and with a John Denver song Country Road on radio, I got the chance to talked to the two remaining passengers in the bus. I thought they were locals but soon I discovered that it was their first time in Ilocos too. oh! just like me. But they were in Pagudpud for work. They will be the workers for the additional windmills which will be added in Burgos. According to them, there will be additional 50 windmills to be build in the area.

I know what to expect from this site already. Windmills supplies electricity for the people in Pagudpud. But the view is great so I took the opportunity to go there. While my tour guide was driving me there, I already saw it from afar and he told me to examine the windmills. Why are some of them thin and do not rotate, while others are rotating and seems thicker than others. And it picks my mind. So he schooled me that the reason was if it stops, there is already much electricity in it and it rotates its propeller so it will stop receiving. hmm?

Cape Bojeador


From the beautiful pictures aside, I expected more from this attraction. If you read my previous post, you will see my fascination with ruins and old structures. Not because I want creepy ghost stories but I wanted to know the history behind it. I thought visiting it would make my heart beat faster because of other blog posts I've read about it. But as I arrived in the area, you will be welcomed by this view.

It seems surreal since I only see this in Tim Burton movies (I am a fan)

So to speak, no goosebumps, no creepy stories and definitely not a scary place. The caretaker told me that the his co-worker who also works here is not in the area at that moment. He was the one telling scary stories to visitors even it's not true. Good for some, bad for me lol :)

Someday I will be able to film a movie like Tim Burton's :)

The fine white sand in Blue Lagoon

I have nothing much to say about the sand but the view is good for photographers and the water is inviting. I must say I'll still choose the sand in Mangodlong, Camotes Island.


Kabigan Falls

This was another first for me. My first time to see a real falls. So I paid 100php for a tour guide and were good to go. My personal tour guide and Kabigan falls tour guide accompanied me to trek for 30 minutes to reach the falls. While trekking, I was a bit exhausted with the heat from the sun. I can already see a tan line from my wrist watch.

View from up above

This is what you'll see during the trek

This is truly nature

And here it is.

This is what I like when travelling alone. I get to see what really needs to be seen. When we got there, I was like a kid smiling from ear to ear upon seeing the falls. Good thing I was the only visitor when we arrived together with my guides. The atmosphere there was so cold and the water was so clear. It's really inviting but I managed not to dip because they say it's deep and I don't know how to swim (which I will learn someday haha). Meeting locals like my tour guides is one of the best things about my travels.

View of Patapat Viaduct

The Patapat Viaduct is just a bridge but the thing is, it's not just a bridge. Usually bridges have water underneath. As you can see, there's none here aside from the water in the shoreline. Kuya Edu said that the local government constructed the bridge because the bridge there was once higher and a lot of accidents happen like some trucks fall off to the shore especially when the weather is not good. If going there, you can still see the road above it but it was already close so people won't try to take that route. The water on the area was also bluesh green.

Paraiso ni Anton

I didn't spend much time in here and didn't even took pictures of the Anton's, but I was intrigued with this structure. It used to be a townhouse of a former politician which I forgot the name . When he died, they abandoned the place and no one took credit for it. So here it is. Rusty, dilapidated and ruined structure. I want to go up but we don't have so much time so I missed it.

Bantay Abot Cave

The Bantay Abot cave was the one that surprised me. Seeing it in pictures was so ordinary and nothing much to expect from it. But when I was there, the rush of going down and climbing up to that whole was amazing. I got wet because of the strong waves plus the strong wind might carry you away.

Let's go to Laoag by kicking in UNESCO's Paoay Church


Marcos's remains

Inside the museum

The remains of Marcos wasn't on my itinerary. I never planned to visit it. Since I was already there, why not do it. During my short stay in Ilocos, I happen to speak with some locals and their loyalty to the Marcoses is apparent. They told me how the family developed Ilocos.

"For every tear, A Victory"

Anyway, picture taking inside Marcos's mausoleum is prohibited. But seeing it myself sends chills to my being. A dictator who once took the freedom of my country, a person who thought he was greater than life and stole the lives of my countrymen. Seeing his dead body, though lifeless and cold, still reminds me of the dark days of the Philippines.

AND Macy's Diner

To be honest I like it better than 50's diner in Baguio. I enjoyed the food much than I enjoyed the offerings in Baguio's. Among other places in Laoag, what I really wanted to visit was this restaurant. I can actually skip the Paoay Church, Sand Dunes and others alike but no way to miss this one. I am a fan of Americans 50's to mention the cinema and the icons in the limelight during those times. Being in this kind of place makes me experience a little bit of what it was like way back 50's.

I haven't watched Gone with the Wind cause its total running time was like 3 hours and I don't have the nerve to sit like that for three hours as of the moment

James Dean on the low

This is what I ate for about 200php